Concerns expressed over increased retirement age

Physiotherapists are getting increasingly worried about the safety implications of workers, particularly those in the NHS or other physically demanding jobs, being asked to work until they are 68 years old.

But physiotherapists meeting for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) annual representative conference in February added they were pleased that the Government had agreed to look at the effect working until aged 68 will have on people in more physically demanding roles.

Alex MacKenzie, chair of the CSP’s industrial relations committee, said this was in fact a serious issue for physiotherapists themselves.

“Forcing physiotherapy staff to work longer could lead to a physiotherapist approaching their 70s with back, joint or other health problems doing a job which is physically challenging even for someone in their 30s and 40s. We’re fearful that some ageing physiotherapy staff might struggle trying to do a job they’re not fit to do, potentially putting their own and the patient’s health and safety at risk,” he said.